Continuing from Sunday post and sharing more of my Etude House favorites for some Valentine's Day gift inspirations...
JUICY LIPS TALKING
Dear My Lips-Talk
The "Dear My" collection has many spinoff's - Enamel, Wish, Blooming, and Jelly. They all have their signature bling on the tube with either a bow or pink beads. I was being good and only bought Enamel and Wish.
Left to Right: 1) Enamel PK004 "Puzzling Pink" 2) Wish OR202 "Celebrity Wannabe" 3) Wish BE101 "Charming Lady Force".
Color The Enamel is more sheer than Wish. Both collections offer a great degree of shine. You can see the two swatch photos below for comparisons. Under direct sunlight - PK004 shows up as more sheer; OR202 is a neon pink upon application; BE101 looks very dark in the tube and on my arm, but once applied on my lips, it's a nice rose pink. I think BE101 is my favorite.
Texture As I apply these lipsticks , it feels as if they melt onto my lips. PK004 and BE101 go on smoothly and the colors blend into my lips effortlessly. OR202 requires some extra work - The neon pink color stands out against my natural lip color, so in order to make it look nice and smooth, I prep my lips with Vaseline lip first and I use my fingers to even out the color. For a more precise look, I'd recommend using a lip brush.
Staying Power The colors transfer quite a bit to the rim of my coffee mug. However, there is enough color stain that even after a full meal, there's still color on my lips.
Price & Where to Buy I paid 9,500 won/USD $7.94. Etude House U.S. website carries both Enamel and Wish at $12.40 per tube. For other Dear My's, go here.
LOVE ME SOME LIP SHINE
Color In Liquid Lips
Korean beauty brands are just so good at creating interesting package design and that makes using their products so much fun. When the saleswoman showed me these tubes, I shook my head because I thought these were lipsticks and I already had the three Dear My in my basket. But then she opened these up and, whoa-la, these are actually liquid lips!
Color These liquid lips have very vibrant colors. PK006 "Always In Pink" (left) looks normal pink in the tube and on the applicator, but once applied onto the lips, it looks more neon pink. As for BE101 "Beige in Caramel" (right), it looks very beige in the tube and on the applicator, and once applied, it looks more like mauve pink. See the two swatch photos below showing the colors on my arm and on my lips.
Texture The liquid lips add a great deal of shine and feel good on my lips for the first 20 minutes or so. After a while, my lips start to feel dry. It's not terribly dry, but I can definitely feel them tightening a bit and resort to applying some lip balm. I think it will be a good idea to prep your lips with Vaseline Lip and then apply these babies. I find the drying effect to be pretty common among liquid lip products, so it's not just isolated to Etude House.
Application I soon realize the applicator picks up too much product and keeps pushing the excess product beyond my lip line. For everyday causal use, I recommend using your fingers to continue spreading and also gently pressing the product onto your lips. For more precise application, it's best to use a lip brush.
Staying Power The colors transfer quite a bit to the rim of my coffee mug. As a result, expect the initial shine to be gone as soon as you starting eating and drinking. However, there is enough color stain that, despite this transferring, the color stays on for a long time.
Price & Where to Buy I paid 9,500 won/USD $7.94. Etude House U.S. website sells them for $12.40 each.
ETUDE HOUSE OF HAND CREAM
My Castle Hand Cream
Admittedly, this was an impulse purchase. I was at the cash register and found out I was just one item shy of hitting the minimum needed to get two of their gifts with purchase. I looked within close proximity and these hand creams were within my reach.
Scent I bought "Pink Wish", which is described on Etude House website as "fruity floral" scent. What I am smelling is indeed some floral fragrance, but surprisingly, I'm also smelling something that reminds me of men's cologne. I'd say this hand cream scent is not my favorite because of that, but I still love this cute castle design.
Texture I dip my fingers into the small opening and was surprised to feel the super thick consistency. I turn the castle upside down and the cream stays in place. That's how thick this is. It does absorbs quickly on my skin.
Little Etti I almost missed this part, but on the side of the packaging, in really small print, there is the backstory on My Little Castle series. It's about a cat named Etti who lives in the Pink Castle. Etti the cat grants beauty wishes to girls with warm and kind hearts, and they know their wishes are coming true when Etti's soft white fur turns pink. I know I'm a grown woman and all, but this little story just adds even more cuteness to the pink castle!
Price & Where to Buy I can't remember how much I paid in won. Etude House U.S. website carries this collection at $7.80 per scent. However, they are currently out of stock.
And the free samples are just as exciting as the actual purchases themselves. The Etude House crew is super generous this time! But I am the most excited about that Magic Any Cushion in the middle - It's actually a power bank!
Hope you've enjoyed this Valentine's Day gift guide!
What's on your V-Day wishlist?
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